12/11/2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The USA Swimming Foundation has named Swim Lessons University as the newest member of its Make a Splash Affiliate Coalition. This partnership was forged in an effort to increase drowning prevention nationwide.

Make a Splash is the national, child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation that aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim.

The Make a Splash Affiliate Coalition is comprised of aquatic industry leaders and community organizations with the common goal of promoting the importance of learn-to-swim and water safety to children across America.

Swim Lessons University offers swim instructor training, certification and a learn-to-swim curriculum. It is also resource for learn-to-swim and water safety products. As an Affiliate partner, Swim Lessons University will promote the USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash Local Partner Program to all their clients and will add Make a Splash materials and enrollment folders to their new swim lesson provider start-up materials. They will also provide pro bono services and training for select Make a Splash partners and events based on availability and mutual agreement.

“Swim Lessons University is a great addition to our Make a Splash Coalition offering excellent resources to our nearly 600 local partners. As we expand our Coalition, we look forward to positively impacting kids across the nation with our message of saving lives through the message of learn-to-swim.” said USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse.

Sobering Drowning Statistics
Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14. Drowning is also a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study.

Furthermore, 60-70 percent of African-American and Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim, and only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis. African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports.